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A Waiheke Island vineyard formerly owned by the Rothschild family as a Cold War bolthole has hit the market and could top the charts for this year's sales.
The bar this year, at $33.2 million, was set by an unnamed US buyer who bought a penthouse at Queenstown’s $2 billion Lakeview Te Taumata project.
Close behind was a $32m development deal at 15 Brunswick Street, Queenstown, concluded with a foreign buyer keen on a multi-home, sprawling lake-view development.
The Waiheke property – which spans just under five hectares at 40 Rothschild Terrace on the shores of Oakura Bay, featuring 1.7 kilometres of coastline and two private islands – was originally developed in 1896 by the Dewitt family, early settlers on the island.
Marketer Caleb Paterson, of Paterson Luxury, expects the new 'golden visa' category for international investors to spark international attention to the property, rounded out by interest from local buyers.
Paterson has hinted at attention out of Hollywood, California, though said he'd entered non-disclosure agreements for those prospective buyers.
An organic vineyard is part of the deal.
Luxury lodge potential
The property was purchased by Robert and Maurine Rothschild, who held it as a private refuge during the Cold War.
The Rothschild family, which created a European banking dynasty, had identified Waiheke as an appropriately isolated and secure place to sit out a nuclear war, during the height of nuclear tensions between the United States and Russia – a period that ranged from 1947 to 1991.
Realtor Caleb Paterson.
In 1981, John and Eve Bollard bought and restored the villa and planted a two-hectare organic vineyard producing syrah, malbec, and chardonnay for local wineries.
John Bollard, the former NZ honorary Consul for the Pacific Northwest and a Nasa associate, built a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired vineyard workshop beside a natural wine cellar.
Describing it as a "statement property", Paterson said the property’s elevated building platform allows for the design of a new legacy home overlooking the Hauraki Gulf and city skyline.
There is also scope to reinstate a historic jetty, private mooring, and even explore a boutique luxury lodge concept subject to consents.
Castor Bay gem
A gem at 41 Beach Road in Castor Bay on Auckland's North Shore, at a council valuation of $23m, is also being tendered on NBR's Marketplace site.
The 1400 sqm waterfront home – designed by Hulena Architects and built by Auckland Builders Good Brothers in 2014 – features six bedrooms, a whopping 10 bathrooms, and six car parks, as well as a 17-metre indoor/outdoor infinity pool.
The property is owned by rental car relocation business NexTransfer director and angel investor James Hoseason and his wife Christina.
41 Beach Road, Castor Bay.
Category 1 historic place-listed property
Wellington developer Ian Cassels, meanwhile, has enlisted commercial and residential realtor CBRE to sell the city's iconic French Gothic-style Erskine Chapel after a more than $7m restoration.
At a floor area of 1237 sqm, the Category 1 historic place-listed property – inspired by a chapel in Alsace-Lorraine in France – isn't for the faint of heart, featuring a vaulted ceiling, Italian marble interiors, on a 2294 sqm freehold site at Erica Pabst Way, Island Bay.
Erskine Chapel, Wellington.
It was constructed between 1929 and 1930 for the Erskine College girls’ boarding school, and much of the renovation was related to seismic strengthening.
So, if you're a fan of heritage church sites, with the prospect of a side event business, the chapel is for sale by private treaty, closing on December 11 at 4pm.
A three-floor penthouse for under $2m
The marketers of a penthouse at 14 Emily Place in central Auckland have pegged a more modest $1.6m price tag on a heritage inner-city apartment, which, by inner-city standards, is huge value given its size.
The three-level apartment, spanning more than 200 square metres, is situated at the top of the former Paykel’s Building, a commercial structure built in the 1920s during the art deco era and converted to 14 apartments in 1995. The redevelopment layered a new top level onto the original structure.
Owner James Dreyer bought the character apartment in 2010 and lived in it for about 10 years, prior to renting it out.
14 Emily Place, Britomart.
Dreyer said the penthouse had provided a level of seclusion despite being in the centre of the CBD. "The layout gives you privacy and space, the master suite feels like its own apartment, and we even had a cinema and music room."
Despite the relatively low cost and what's on offer, prospective buyers should note that apartments are a riskier investment than their standalone counterparts.
According to the latest Pain and Gain report from property analytics firm Cotality, 34.5% of all apartment resales during the quarter to September sold for less than the purchase price.
Where there were recorded losses, the median came in at $60,000, while those in the profit column generated a return of $104,000.
Investors were also more likely to accept a loss on their apartments or homes, with 13.4% of sales in the loss column, compared with 11.4% of owner-occupiers.
To view high-end residential and commercial listings, visit NBR Marketplace, our unique opportunity for agents to place premium residential listings in front of one of New Zealand’s most qualified audiences. 
